Guys, guys... His Name is "GrindStone." I don't think we can help him. lol.

In beta i let her live. I killed her this time... and it felt great. But then i couldn't decide whether to go slinger or scoundrel, and have been playing my sage ever since. Idk... dual blasters and lots of cover? Lobbin' 'nades? Heals? Stealth? I just can't decide.

No, in fact, i am stating that the majority takes a casual approach, and then cries when someone who plays aggressively, attempting to maximize the effectiveness of their chosen class, beats them on a regular basis, both with "skill" as well as more effort put-in to gain better gear. harcore player + gear + skill + effort > anything casual. When the casuals cry, regardless of whether they are the majority, they are simply incorrect... and if BW listens to those who simply do not put enough effort into the game to actually beat someone who intends to play both aggressively and competitively, and then changes the game mechanics to make it A) harder to beat someone who is barely trying and undergeared, and B) easier for someone to faceroll and win, without much thinking or effort, then they are also wrong. The majority is not always right. The "elites" or "minority" is not always wrong. Ever heard the phrase "careful what you wish for, you might just get it?" Often, the "casual players" have no idea what the actual results and consequences of their requests/demands will end up being. People don't always realize just what it is they are asking for, until it's too late, and has already brought undesirable consequences. It is, however, expected that a company running a business, will be most likely to attempt to appeal to the largest demographic of their customer base. IMHO, it's a bad move to try to appease the bandwagoners, who will be gone as soon as the next popular thing comes along. BW should, instead, work on making things better for those of us who want to stick around.

Ah, well... If we're being snide, i can add in that manner as well. In PvE you can just get out of combat when you want. Just stop pulling mobs, press your class-specific heal/regen button, and resume activities. I use mine between every pull. I have to be strategic with noble sacrifice, or i cost myself health AND regen. Luckily i went biochem, so i have that extra heal for myself while i'm blasting force into my friends to heal them. All in all, i thought this "alacrity analysis" had a much more broad intention and goal, than simply "improving raid encounters." I could definitely see how it would be pretty embarrassing to run out of your casting pool, watch your tank die and wipe the raid, have everyone call you terribad, and not be invited to the next one... just because you chose to stack alacrity and spam cast everything, rather than playing more conservatively and/or choosing different stats that would perhaps be more appropriately tailored toward your intended goal. So... yeah, i think that maybe healing in-general needs a boost, rather than simply nit-picking one specific stat to death. But if you think just fixing alacrity will help, without any alterations to the actual class mechanics, then... i would gladly support improvements to said stat. I would personally prefer to see them take the "correct" path, and improve the actual class-specific healing mechanics for each one, rather than trying to slap a band-aid on it, by making everyone rely on "the new alacrity" to attain suitable healing functionality.

I loved that bug. It's not like fixing that will stop operatives from stunlocking me to death, or marauders from shredding me to pieces in 0.37 seconds. Not that my opinion matters, but i think they should leave it as-is. Just change the description to read "as long as the buff is active," rather than just "the next heal." It's an interesting dynamic, and makes the game more challenging for the classes who chew through 15k hp in less than 2 seconds. (ok ok, slight exaggeration, but still... i've gone from full to 0 in literally an instant, too many times to count) Sure, i can adjust... it's just not as interesting, and didn't seem like something that should be so high-priority, or even "fixed" at all, considering all the other glaring issues abound. It was a little like "weaving," a little like "molding," but not nearly anything that should be called "OP," by any stretch, whether "intended" or not. It's almost like they're telling us "oops, we didn't mean for healers to be able to heal enough to actually have pvp combat encounters last more than 3-4 GCD's." It's not like people can't just interrupt and therefore negate that 2nd cast, anyway. They can and do. Happens to me constantly. Double-critting a double-cast is sometimes (read: frequently) the only chance of survival, once focused. Part of me is completely certain that the under-geared casuals crying about "OP force casters" is really the motivation behind "fixing" this.

Hmm... Alacrity useless? Bad? What? Really? So what if you spend your energy pool faster. So what if it's "less efficient" if you're spamming your heals as fast as possible. That's kinda the point. Making the heal affect it's target sooner. Alacrity decreases the length of time between pressing the button and healing the target. That is an incredibly good thing, particularly in pvp, but also in pve. I know, yes, i play a Sage (50/47, cent/champ), and i do have a regen advantage... and you guys are probably all going to do your best to dismiss my opinion, but... I simply cannot fathom the idea that slower casting in pvp could EVER be a "good" thing. I run out of force when i have to. I sustain it when i can. The point is keeping your friends alive while marauders are shredding them to pieces and BH's are spamming tracers. Death happens very quickly in pvp, and the last thing you want is for your heals to "fire" on a dead target. You want that heal getting there ASAP, so that you can begin casting the next one, possibly on a second or even third target. Your "energy pool" is completely irrelevant if your group is dead. If you have to spend it all to keep your team alive, you do it... and preferably as quickly as possible, even if you are then forced to spend a little downtime to regen. As a sage seer, i will almost always sacrifice myself to keep my tanks and dps alive that little bit longer... because i know they can kill something faster than i can. If i don't get focused, the other team is at a huge disadvantage. I will concede that sometimes it's better to have a bigger heal that takes longer to cast, rather than the quickest possible smaller heal... but this whole "alacrity is garbage" mindset is absurd. I wouldn't go stacking only-alacrity, but completely ignoring or avoiding it, seems just as ridiculous. It just seems like common-sense that stacking a single stat, forgoing all others where possible, will inevitably gimp whatever class you're playing, in one way or another. I prefer willpower and power on my sage, above all else. I'd rather have quick and reliable, instead of slower with some lucky huge hits (crit/surge). Those slow and lucky hits will often be wasted on a target that died while you were still casting, or even never finish casting at all, due to being focused... where a quicker and smaller heal would have fired, landed, and saved the day. Maybe it really just comes down to playstyle and preference. That said... i would definitely not take issue with any improvements to alacrity's functionality for any class. Faster cast is faster. ^^

1) look at the time on each post, and you'll see that only 2 minutes separate them. I spent more than 2 minutes writing that, because i don't like to just rant-and-send... i spend a little time and thought on what i write. Sometimes it may seem like i didn't, regardless. 2) you're not the only one who "really gets into" being "evil." There is way too much evil in this world already, and far too many embracing and promoting it IRL, on a daily basis, as a way of life. Some of them even play this game with us. And, not all of them play empire. ^^

This. Who would expect a "jedi consular" to be anything Other Than a diplomatic monk mediator type? Did you all just spacebar through all the dialogue? Are you all "those people" who refuse to pay attention to what is going on, or ever read a subtitle? I think the real problem with the consular story, is that the people who seem so dissatisfied by it, are the ones who just have no clue what a jedi consular is supposed to be about, in the first place. I think most of you must have rolled a consular because you heard it was OP, or you heard it was the one with the double-bladed lightsaber. Excessive and unwarranted expectations and misconceptions strike the microwave generation, once again.

I appreciate and commend you for your efforts. It's pretty astonishing to me that anyone would take "Sith are Evil" so personally, and so vehemently defend them, as though they themselves were actually "Sith." It also blows my mind, just how many people completely misunderstand and miscontrue the part of the "jedi code" that refers to emotion. They are not literally saying that emotion "doesn't exist." They are also not saying to deny, or refuse to accept emotion. IT IS A COPING MECHANISM! How many times must this be stated? Infinitely? It is one thing to "feel," and quite another to intentionally exaggerate a negative emotion, to the point where one flies into a rage about it, acts irrationally, and hurts others in the process. It's wrong to hurt others, "just because you want to." And, while reading the posts of many "Sith-Defenders," i can't help but get the feeling that most of you actually believe that Evil is "the right way to be." Even IRL. You people are disturbing. I can understand "playing a bad guy in a video game," but this incessant justification of all-that-is-wrong-and-bad, is just... reprehensible, i guess would be the word. I imagine some of you must be sitting there snarling, growling, gnashing teeth, slinging drool, seething with hate, like some sort of vicious demon. It's not really cool to be that way IRL. lol.

This.

Because then you'll have people crying about "guard-hugging." And they Will Cry! Although, i don't really have an alternate solution to suggest, or see any way around the "guard hugging issue." You either protect people from griefers, or you don't. I don't think there's any grey-area here.

"Are Sith really evil?" My answer would have to be: Yes. It really is "as simple as that." However... it really depends on what your definitions of "Sith" and "Evil" are. If two perspectives hold different definitions for the same terms... then there will likely never be agreement or understanding. So, in order to further the discussion in an intelligent way... Let's all agree on a definition for the terms "Sith," and "Evil." Once we do that, perhaps there can be an answer other than simply "Yes." Let's answer these questions: What is "Sith?" What is "Evil?"

I enjoyed it. I think you kinda have to be "in-character," or have a particular type of motivation and mindset to enjoy playing a consular, in the first place... and after playing through as a sage, i can see how it may not exactly fit the "shadow" mindset. From what i understand, the advanced classes have no bearing on the story progression, other than the abilities and tactics used during action sequences. Idk. Whatever. It was enjoyable for me, and i thought it only got better as i progressed further through it. I did begin to get impatient in my 40's and sort of rush it a bit, and i guess i'll admit, it does sort of "get old," the way everyone, everywhere, seems to expect you to do everything for them, as you save each planet you visit along the way. It actually seems to be a bit of a joke at some points, with some of the dialogue options referring to guilt-trips and self-sufficiency. Some characters even "claim" partial credit for your heroism, while they in fact did nothing at all, other than to ask you to do it for them. Such is the life of a Jedi, i guess... doing everything "normal" people can't do for themselves. I would definitely say it's a story that will most likely be most enjoyed from a particular perspective and mindset. edit: i will add, it seems more drama-oriented, rather than action-packed. That said... lvl 14 is no time to decide anything about any of the class-stories. You've just scratched the surface at that point. I mean... you JUST got sprint. You don't even have your ship. You have no idea what's going on! (which was the single factor that ended up compelling me to respond at all) lol.

I literally lol'd. Literally. +1 internets to you, my good sir.

Ahh haha! The classic "crow-feed" counter. Love it. I would say "good question," but the answers are either A) No One, or B) "Apparently not BioWare!"

So basically... People don't know *** they're talking about, and should L2P, before they try to convince everyone the sky is falling, and beg for nerfs? I totally agree.

What is this i don't even... now i'm confused. Idk what you're trying to accuse, imply, or insinuate, but... You must have missed the part where empire has 5x more players on almost all pvp servers. There is a very high probability that there will be times when a group of players will prevent someone from completing a quest, due to the "gank/zerg" mentality. I definitely wanted pvp, as well as the "risk thereof," and so idk why you seem to be intent on painting me as someone who rolled on the wrong server, or didn't want to pvp. I came from AoC, Tyranny since launch. I love pvp! I just don't like being forced into situations where i can't 1) win, 2) escape, or 3) progress... and as a republic player on a pvp server, there is a fairly high chance of that happening, which is one of the situations most* people don't like to find themselves stuck with. That said... i have not had "problems" with open world pvp. I have never been "griefed" by other players, in this game, nor have i ever been killed more than 2-3 times by the same highly-advantaged player, nor prevented from accomplishing my initial goal, whether it be a quest, or simply exploring an area. I'm not the one with the problem. I just wanted to explain that, in my opinion, "most" people don't like to be in a situation they can't control, that prevents them from progressing... ie: ganking, zerging, griefing... especially when they often roll solo, due to low faction population, and the refusal to be bound by needing a group, just to complete anything. I think what's really "killing pvp" has more to do with the majority of the vocal minority, and all the negativity on the forums, and the frustrations experienced by less-skilled, less-experienced, less-patient, and less-tolerant players... Not the Instancing itself.

I... felt the need to say it again. lol. I guess learning is more difficult than i realize, for some. It's probably because people don't really want to play the game. They just want to skip to the "i'm a pvp GOD!!!!!!!!" part. You'll never be a pvp god, if you have to ask for nerfs along the way.

Yes, there are "casual" players who don't want the restriction and limitation of being forced to request permission for pvp combat (duel?). No one likes being "ganked" (meaning #?: surprise attacked by multiple attackers at once). No one likes being "zerged" (attacked by many players at once, surprise or not). "Getting PvP'd" isn't the issue. I rolled on a pvp server because i wanted to pvp when/wherever, out in the world... not because of some unfortunate accident. I also wanted to "GvG" (group vs group) out in the open areas, whenever it may occur. However, in hindsight, i most certainly should have chosen one of the RP-PvP servers, as i also like "the rest of the game," and wanted to enjoy all of it, and not "just the pvp part," which so many people are so clearly irreversibly dissatisfied with. Not everyone rolls on a pvp server to prove themselves as some sort of pvp-superhero-prodigy-gamer. I didn't. Did you?

Nope, the real problem is that you can't have open world pvp without zerging and griefing driving away casual player customers. Also, the fact that "most people are just bad" has led to "most people roll sith," and that created the problem of faction population imbalance, and so if you're sith (empire), you'll have a hard time literally "finding" anyone to "open world pvp" with (against), because even republic players who love open world pvp, don't like to get zerged and griefed. People don't like to lose, so they stick to the guarded areas and instances. When people lose too much, they feel like they're not doing well, and don't enjoy their game time, and subsequently become dissatisfied with the game as a whole, and then quit. That takes revenue away from the company who made this great (yes, GREAT) game for us to play... which means them making even more compromises down the line, which eventually spells out the fate of the game. In short: bad people ruin everything for everyone. It's not "instancing ruining pvp."

What's truly ridiculous, are all the "nerf sorcerer/sage" threads. You people should be L-ing 2P, not whining in forums. /thread

But that's just it... most of the "leavers" are the ones who EXPECT this to be "the pvp dream," regardless of the obvious facts that we all had available during development, that would tell anyone with a shred of intellect that this game would not be "said pvp dream." Unrealistic Expectations. You "hit the nail on the head," with the "instant-gratification ADHD generation" remark, earlier. People "want what they want, and want it now!" Like a bunch of spoiled children. They don't care, or even notice all the nice little things about the game itself. They just want the perfect star-wars-pvp-dream, and only because the star-wars part is popular right now, because of this game being made. "people in general" suck WAY more than "this game" ever will. For proof, see... pretty much ANY other thread in this very forum... or any gaming forum at all, for that matter. Further, i feel that yes, there is something called "skill," that goes beyond gear, that has everything to do with learning not only your class, but all of them... knowing which abilities to use, or not use, at the right times, and what will be most effective in various situations, and being able to adapt "on the fly," and pull out a victory against someone who may also know how to gain an (non-gear-dependent) advantage. There is skill involved. It's not just "face-rolling." If you're literally slamming your buttons at random and winning, your opposition is clearly either unskilled, ungeared, or both. To deny that knowledge and timing and tactics are anything other than "skill," unnecessarily diminishes the experiences of others, regardless of any opinion to the contrary. I consider most of you "my peers," and all sharing a sort of common-ground, due to shared interest in mmo-gaming, even particularly the pvp aspects, which i rather enjoy... but i can't stand to see such negativity and immaturity, especially on such a typical, predictable and widespread basis. It's frankly disgusting, to me. I hate that every game i like is filled with people who carry such unappealing and negative attitudes. Aren't we all here to have fun? I am. Anyone who isn't, should literally GT*O.

this... and this. autorun+L2type= no kick from deserter buff. The only "kick" gripe i'll add, is when once, in alderaan cival war, i was focus-fired and killed by the opp team, and when i spawned, my character was stuck lying down, i couldn't move, couldn't reach the speeder to exit the spawn area, and was subsequently kicked. Another time on that same map, the speeder did not spawn, and was not available to facilitate an exit from the spawn area, and i was subsequently kicked. Let's gripe about those things getting fixed, rather than complaining about something we can actually work around, by using autorun, and learning to type faster. k?

I rest my case. LOL!

I think most of us know, the real problem isn't really the game itself, or any of its flaws, though fundamental some may be. The real problem is People In General... and their tendencies toward both developing and maintaining unrealistic, excessive, often even absurd and outrageous expectations, knowing full-well those expectations will most likely not be met. And when those expectations aren't met? People cry about it. Go figure. The very same people whom regurgitate such trite terms as "pwnd, L2P, QQ, your bad," etc, are the same ones quitting the game when it doesn't live up to their absurd expectations. Everyone with a reasonable amount of intelligence knew for a long time, this game would not be "the pvp dream." So many of you are so spoiled to always getting what you want, that you've clearly missed the point, and don't even notice all the nice little things this game has going for it. I like this game, and i'll keep playing it until i'm either tired of it, or ready for something different. It may be soon, since i'm one of those people who has had a TSW forum account since those forums opened, almost 5 years ago. I can imagine the discontent whinings of spoiled-brat-supergamers, will drive me away from this community, long before any of the actual game's flaws.